Creative Corner

@Tiirran

Yeah, of course! I'll add you right away! And yeah... He'll be very missed....

[center][b][u]Day 11[/u][/b] [item=Grouse Basilisk] Sentence: Adopt a Dragon Roll: Snapper @CleverDual @Kyrinasha @MysterySandwing @Ezmara @Shanuuk @FlightofStars @Skyeset @Kizzan @Leopardmask @Tiirran [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/5#post_25141497]Previous[/url] ____________________________________________________________________________________[/center] When Vaille looked back on that day all she could remember was a flurry of emotions and sensations, both hers and those picked up from the dragons around her. If she had been asked how she had managed to get the snapper's heavy body back to the clearing, how she successfully ushered a heartbroken and grief-stricken tundra back home, or how she had relayed the events of the day to Viper and Patrick, she would not be able to explain. All she could say was that she was very glad when she had been able to go to sleep and shut out the constant stream of intense emotions. They had given him a proper wind funeral the next day. Proxima had cried through the whole thing, but Vaille had to say the tundra seemed to be more at peace after sending off his ashes into the wind currents. It had been the hardest to explain to Patrick, who had never really seen death before, not that many of them had much experience in the area. The mirror hatchling seemed solemn through the whole ceremony, though Vaille knew he hadn't known him well enough to miss him as much as the rest of the clan did. At first, Vaille had thought carrying the weight of both her grief and the grief of others would be crippling, but she learned to live with it. It was true that it was still draining to be near Proxima for long periods of time, though as each day passed, so did the tundra's grief. Vaille reasoned that if she truly had become the leader of this clan, this would not be the first time she would be faced with grief and death. That thought, however, did not stop her from feeling the guilt that she could have done something to prevent it. Clan life had seemed to return to normal. Patrick spent his time proclaiming his royal destiny to anyone who would listen, while Viper rolled his eyes and made sharp comments at anyone who annoyed him. They all learned to accept their emotions, and to continue life as best they could. It was Proxima who first encountered the newcomer. She had been out in the clearing, visiting the onyx monument that had been erected in Chronos' honour alongside the two monuments from the previous clan that had inhabited the clearing. The tundra was insistent on making that visit a part of her daily routine, so she did not forget her friend. Vaille had been surprised when one day, she returned with a female snapper in tow. [center][img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=10&bodygene=1&breed=9&element=5&gender=1&tert=112&tertgene=10&winggene=1&wings=15&auth=99acf970869f48778e8e8ebc90238b07648f48d1&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center] "Hello!" Vaille called, striding towards the newcomer, "Welcome to the cavern!" [i]We really need to come up with a name for ourselves.[/i] "My name is Vaille, how may I help you?" "My name is Susan, and I'm from the Tempest University." The snapper explained in a steady tone. "I came to deliver a message to a snapper named Chronos? His last stated whereabouts was here." Vaille stared at Susan in shock, then turned her gaze to Proxima questioningly. "I wasn't sure how to tell her." The blue tundra responded quietly, lowering her head. Vaille nodded, feeling a wave of sympathy for the young dragon. She turned back to the glimmering snapper before her. "I'm afraid to be the bearer of bad news, but Chronos passed away in a terrible accident about a week ago." Vaille explained softly. "He was a dear friend of ours, and a valued member of our clan." The snapper's electric blue gaze fell and filled with a deep sadness. It took some time for her to respond. "I-I'm so sorry to hear that. We were friends as kids." Susan explained. "We both planned to attend the Tempest University together. I came to tell him that his application had finally been reviewed, and that he had been accepted." "He would have loved to hear that." Proxima spoke up again, meeting the snapper's blue eyes. "He talked about the university a lot. He was so devoted to his research project, it's a shame he never finished it." "Did he get any leads?" Susan asked, interest sparking in her gaze. "Oh, I apologize, now is not the right time to talk research. I am sorry to has disturbed you, I will be on my way." "No! Stay the night." Vaille cut in. "I insist! Chronos would have wanted it, and I am sure we have a lot to learn from you. I understand if you have responsibilities at the university and can't stay long, but at least rest here for some time. It's a long journey back to the shifting expanse." "Thank you for your hospitality!" Susan grinned. "I will take you up on that offer! I would love to hear of your memories of Chronos. It has been so long since I've seen him." ____________________________________________________________________________________ I promise after today's update things will lighten up. I needed to tie up the loose ends and give some closure. Then of course, I ended up with a familiar pull, and just my luck, not only do I roll a snapper, but because of my rule of buying the first dragon I come across with something in it's bio, the snapper I end up with came from the very same hatchery that Chronos came from! I just knew that because of that connection, Susan herself had too have a connection to Chronos in some way. She's not that much younger than Chronos so I decided to have them as childhood friends! It's exciting to bring another dragon into the story! I always get nervous when I have less than 3 battle ready dragons. [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/7#post_25189340]Next[/url][/center]

[center][b][u]Day 12[/u][/b] [item=Large Stone Collar] Sentence: Drawing @CleverDual @Kyrinasha @MysterySandwing @Ezmara @Shanuuk @FlightofStars @Skyeset @Kizzan @Leopardmask @Tiirran [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/7#post_25171914]Previous[/url] _______________________________________________________________________________________[/center] So, since today is a drawing day, there will be no story update! You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it is that makes Susan stay with the rest of the crew for good. In the meantime, here is a drawing of our youngest monarch, inspired by his theme song. [center][img]https://68.media.tumblr.com/76ab05d23975d001df22aa078e35ba23/tumblr_ok7iic176w1vcowwco1_400.png[/img][/center] Next time I get a drawing pull, I'll probably draw something to do with Vaille and her theme song. I still need to find Susan a theme song, but that might take some time because I'm still developing and brainstorming her character and there isn't yet much story context for her. [s]Also, I totally put the wrong date on the picture, oops.[/s] [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/7#post_25213304]Next[/url][/center]

Ooh, that's really good!

@Petall Ooooh, it's really cool to see Susan come into the story! :D It's interesting that she knew Chronos as a kid. That could make for some interesting plot stuff. :3 Hope things go better for her then for Chronos.

@Kizzan

I have lots of possible ideas for Susan! I'm glad you like her! And I hope things go better for her too.

[center][b][u]Day 13[/u][/b] [item=Juneflower] Sentence: 10-20 Coli Battles @CleverDual @Kyrinasha @MysterySandwing @Ezmara @Shanuuk @FlightofStars @Skyeset @Kizzan @Leopardmask @Tiirran [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/7#post_25189340]Previous[/url] _______________________________________________________________________________________[/center] "The Juneflower sways in the wind A beautiful melody of colours To and fro it goes, leaves gliding in the wind. Not a care in the world This jolly Juneflower has All that matters is that is blows to and fro To and fro." "That's a beautiful poem." Vaille commented as she approached Susan. The snapper startled, turning her electric blue eyes down from the sky and towards Vaille. "Creative writing." The snapper nodded. "That's what I was studying back at the Tempest University. That's what I am studying I mean. Not the most valued subject in lightning, but hey! It's my passion." "Sounds like more of a wind thing." Vaille agreed. "Seems like you came to the right place." Susan smiled sadly, and as Vaille sensed the familiar feeling, she knew Susan had come to love it here. "You could stay." Vaille spoke up, not for the first time. She couldn't help but feel a sort of wisdom from the snapper, and it made Vaille curious. She wanted to know more. And just being in her presence was so calm, Vaille knew it was doing Proxima some good to have another dragon that was good with feelings to talk through her emotions with. It hurt Vaille to sense the weight of her grief and be able to do nothing to ease it. Just because she could feel what others felt didn't mean that she didn't feel awkward about the whole thing. "Thank you, but I've spent enough time away from the university." Susan lowered her gaze and shifted her feet. "I don't want to miss too many classes." "I understand." Vaille nodded, feeling a pang of disappointment. "Just know that you are very welcome here if you change your mind. I know Patrick for one will be sad to see you go!" Vaille and Susan laughed at the memory. The growing mirror had clearly stated multiple times to both Proxima and Vaille that they were destined to be his queen, but that was nothing compared to the awe he expressed when he met Susan. Vaille supposed he hadn't seen many gem genes before, at least not many dragons who were lucky enough to have a triple set, and Patrick had immediately declared Susan his new queen. Of course, he had also referred to Vaille as his queen shortly before she left the cavern this morning, but that didn't change the fact he obviously loved hanging out with the shining snapper. "If I am ever in the area again, I'll be sure to drop by." Susan agreed, smiling. "You have all been so kind to me." Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a screech from behind them. Turning around to look down the slope of the hill, they two of them saw Proxima burst out of the bamboo forest with a swarm of bumbles on her tail. "GET AWAY!!!" The tundra screamed, shooting puffs of magic at the oncoming swarm. Her blue eyes were stretched so wide that Vaille could see the whites of her eyes. Not allowing herself to hesitate, she leaped to Proxima's aid and immediately started to fight off the angry bees. It was not long before Susan barreled into the swarm, letting out a deep bellow of a battle cry. Her terrifying cry alone scared off a huge portion of the swarm. "Nobody hurts my friends!" She shouted, stamping a few of the remaining large insects into the ground. Soon, with the efforts of three dragons, the swarm was driven off. "I'm...... sorry....... about....... the.......swarm........" Proxima gasped. "Breathe, darling." Susan instructed, resting one of her front feet lightly on her shoulder. "Let yourself breathe. It wasn't your fault, it could have happened to anyone." "I was just in such a hurry." Proxima explained once she caught her breath. "I found something." Her blue eyes gleamed as she unrolled a scroll. The scroll was covered in Chronos' handwriting, it was obviously some notes he had taken during his stay. "Remember the research project he was telling us about, the day he died?" Proxima asked, her eyes brimming with excitement as her eyes met Vaille's. "Read this." She guestured to one of the sentences in the middle of the page. "Still no sign of Roarke, though I have scarcely had the time to ask around as of yet." Vaille read aloud. "Maybe the professors were right and this is just a fool's errand, but I can't give up. The great warrior must be found." Vaille looked at Proxima quizzically. "Roarke." The tundra repeated. "Sound familiar?" "The name on one of the memorials next to Chronos'!" Realization dawned on Vaille. "My parents never told me much about him, though my dad did refer to him as 'father.' Are you sure it's the same one?" "I don't know, but I bet Viper would." Proxima pointed out. "Are you saying you have possibly found the legendary warrior Roarke who went missing in the Battle of the Spire?" Susan cut in. "The impossible project that Chronos set out to finish?" "I'm not sure it would be. I don't think Roarke was very old when he came here, not if he was the same age as my grandma Vine-" Vaille began, but she trailed off when she saw Proxima's face. She needed this, she needed to know, for closure's sake. Perhaps completing this task would ease some of the tundra's grief, after all, she would be completing his work. "But what do I know? I never met him. Sure, we can ask Viper." "Maybe I will stay for a bit longer." Susan shifted her feet. "Roarke was Chronos' hero. I owe it to him to find the answers he didn't have the time to." As the three of them made their way back to the clearing, Vaille hoped this wouldn't turn into a wild goose chase. How far would Proxima want to go to find answers? ____________________________________________________________________________________ For once I actually have no idea what to say here. I think this chapter speaks for itself. Also, Patrick will be fully grown tomorrow! [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/7#post_25232554]Next[/url][/center]

@Petall I am really liking Susan's character so far. :3 Glad nothing bad happened this time, too.

@Kizzan

I'm glad you're liking her! And yeah, I'm glad nothing bad happened too. I was pretty fortunate that I only had to do 10 battles and since Susan was just starting her training, I got to start out in the training fields, so the danger was minimal.

[center][b][u]Day 14[/u][/b] [item=Venus Flytrap] Sentence: 10-20 Coli Battles @CleverDual @Kyrinasha @MysterySandwing @Ezmara @Shanuuk @FlightofStars @Skyeset @Kizzan @Leopardmask @Tiirran [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/7#post_25213304]Previous[/url] _______________________________________________________________________________________[/center] Unfortunately, Viper did not do much to answer their questions about the famed Roarke. "I'm telling you, I never had the chance to meet him." He had explained. "I could tell you about the impact his death had on the remainder of the clan, but there's no way I could tell you if he is the same dragon. I don't even know what he looked like!" Viper's answer didn't seem to deter Proxima from her goal, however. Every moment not spent gathering food or visiting Chronos' grave went into reading the snapper's notes and books. It was turning into something of an obsession, and Vaille was growing worried for her friend. Unfortunately, Susan did not do much to help, as she seemed to have grown as interested in finding out the truth as Proxima, and had extended her stay with the clan, perhaps indefinitely. "Look, it's just logical." Susan explained to Vaille. "Why go back to the Tempest University and study a subject that will get me nowhere? If I unravel this mystery, even the stuck-up professors at the university will have to take me seriously as an author. If I don't, at least I didn't waste my life somewhere I didn't really belong. I only really applied at the university to keep Chronos company while he was there. I'm much happier in this clan of yours." "Speaking of the clan," Vaille shifted her feet, she was still uncomfortable with calling the clan hers. "We need a name. We can't just keep calling ourselves 'our clan' or whatever it is. I've been doing some thinking, and I think we should call ourselves 'The Landbound.'" "That's a strange name for a wind clan." Susan pointed out. "But I like it!" "Well, that's just the thing." Vaille continued, growing excited. She had long since given up the idea of returning home to the inn. By giving them a name, they'd finally be a really clan. An odd clan, but a clan all the same. "How many of us can actually fly? Snappers are incapable of flight, so that puts us up to two if we count Chronos. I can fly short distances, but not well and not nearly high enough to get anywhere in wind because of the spread of my gembond. Viper doesn't have wings. Mirrors prefer running over flying, so now we're up to five. I'm pretty sure Proxima is the only one of us who can actually fly properly. Plus, we live underground! How many wind clans choose to have a lair under the surface of the plateau! I'm betting not many. We already stand out, why not name ourselves after it?" "I like it! Proxima, what do you think?" Susan asked, turning to the tundra who was reading in the corner. Vaille suddenly noticed she was writing very quickly on an open page of the book. "Can't talk now. Need to write this down." Proxima explained, not taking her eyes off the page. "What are you writing?" Susan asked curiously. "The Landbound." Proxima responded in the same short sentence. "Need to remember." "What about it?" Vaille asked. She had never seen the tundra like this, and she could sense a deep rooted anxiety within her. "What if I forget?" Proxima burst out, putting down her quill. "I need to have something to remind me of what it means." "Proxima, all it is is a name." Vaille pointed out. "The meaning isn't what's important about it.' "But it is!" Proxima was getting very worked up. "You said it yourself, it's what defines us! What if something happens to you all? What if I'm the only one left and we have a clan of fliers and no one knows why we are called The Landbound? A few months from now, I won't even remember this conversation! We'll just be a group of dragons, our meaning lost because I couldn't remember!" "Proxima, it's alright." Susan stepped forward to comfort the tundra. "It's natural to be scared. Take a few deep breaths. Writing things down is a great idea. I never would have thought of that. Sometimes, dragons take their memories for granted, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing that tundras don't remember. You have skills we never will have. Write it down if it makes you feel better, but don't feel this is all on you. Why don't you take a few deep breaths and go for a walk. I'll come join you in a bit, if you want." Proxima closed her eyes and let herself breathe. Then she opened them. "I'll be fine. I think I need some time alone, to think." "Alright, you know where to find me if you need me." Susan said softly as she watched the tundra go up the tunnel. Then she turned to Vaille. "She's starting to forget him. It scares her. We should be gentle with her. She's learning how to deal with her short memory span, as most tundras must at some point or another, but this is a particularly cruel situation." "I had no idea." Vaille shook her head, staring at the tunnel entrance where the tundra has disappeared. "I mean, I could feel her anxiety, but I had no idea she was starting to forget him so soon." It was then that their conversation was interrupted by a loud clang from one of the shorter chambers branching off of the cavern. A few seconds later, Patrick emerged with something large and purple on his head. He was carrying a similar object, but gold and blue. The mirror had grown a lot since his arrival, and there was no way he could be called a hatchling anymore. "Hey, Patrick!" Vaille called to him. "I have news! Our clan has a name now! We're going to be the Landbound!" "Patrick, King of the Landbound." The mirror tasted the title on his tongue. "It has a nice ring to it." "What do you have there?" Susan asked, gesturing to her hat. "A crown! Look! It matches my eyes!" Patrick paused and sat up to let them admire it. "I found one for you, Susan. You will need a crown too if you are to be my queen. It even has lightning on it!" Susan started to laugh, and look slightly awkward. "That was very kind of you, but Patrick... I don't want to be queen." "What?" His fins and tail began to droop. "But it's a perfect fit!" "Patrick." Susan met his gaze levelly, kindness and understanding gleaming from their depths. "There is something very important you have too think about when choosing a queen, and that is that your queen has a say in the matter too. Because a queen is more than just someone who rules alongside a king, a queen is a king's closest partner, and that can't just be anyone. It needs to be built on a relationship of understanding and equality and respect and, hopefully, love. Whoever ends up being your queen should be someone you care deeply about, someone you would trust with your life and your secrets, and that sort of thing takes time. I can't be that kind of role in your life right now." "Trust." Patrick seemed to be thinking very hard. "I think i understand. Thank you." "Hey Patrick." Vaille had been sizing up the mirror and had come to a realization. "I think you're big enough to hunt now. How would you like to join us tomorrow?" "Really?" The mirror leaped into the air excitedly, almost causing his large crown to tumble off his head. "You're ready." Vaille agreed, smiling as his excitement washed over her. [center]____________________________________________________________________________________[/center] I've had today's update completely planned all day. It may be a bit longer than I expected, but all the interactions I wanted to have are in it. I should probably let you know levels and everything. Today I went to the Coli with Susan, Patrick and Proxima (yesterday is was Susan, Proxima and Vaille) and everyone is at level 4 except for Patrick, who is level 3. I'm happy with how close in level everyone is. The moment Patrick is strong enough to fight in the Woodland Path, I'll be happy, because then no one will be majorly disadvantaged if a death streak shows up. Also, yes, I totally did give Patrick the Shady crown. It was just too perfect an opportunity to pass up. And it is kind of funny how the two crowns I do have work so well with dragons I have in this pinkerlocke. [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2090290/8#post_25269773]Next[/url][/center]